Always Enough

by Irene Zundel

I'll never forget Clifford, nor the miracle God provided to teach me of His daily, loving care for each of us.

It was a typical payday – calculating my stretched to the limit budget, paying my bills, shopping for two weeks worth of groceries and tucking away the last few dollars in a coffee can for a rainy day.

All I had left in my refrigerator was a can of tuna, two slices of bread and an over-ripe avocado. As I climbed the stairs to my apartment with two bags of food that I desperately needed, I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me: "Give Clifford your groceries."

Surely, I didn't hear that right. If I gave him my food for the next two weeks, I would have next to nothing to eat. I unlocked my door and put the bags on my kitchen table. Again, I heard the Lord tell me, "Give Clifford your groceries."

Poor Clifford certainly needed them. He had recently suffered a spinal injury while playing volley ball at church with a bunch of us. His painful, slow recovery prevented him from returning to work as a dishwasher and his bank account was almost dry So, I gathered the bags into my arms and dropped them off at his apartment, three doors down from mine.

Afterwards, I sat on my sofa and wryly thought, "Oh, well...if I get hungry later in the week, I can always invite myself to dinner at my neighbor's!"

Just then, I had a feeling I should go and check my mail. I wasn't expecting anything. Really, all I ever got was bills and I had just paid those. Still, I felt an urgency to go downstairs to check my box.

To my surprise, I had two letters waiting for me.

One letter was from my Aunt Marie, whom I hadn't heard from in years. She wrote that she wasn't sure if my birthday was that month, or two months down the road but she wanted to send me a small check, so I could buy myself a little treat.

The other piece of mail was a birthday card from my grandmother. She said, "I know it is only January and your birthday is not until March but I had a feeling I should send you this check early. Happy birthday!"

Can you believe it? The amount of the two birthday checks were equal to what I spent on the groceries I had just given Clifford!

Coincidence? I don't think so...

Scripture reference:

"So don't worry about these things saying 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs."

Matthew 6:31 & 32, New Living Translation